Urban Planning

City Underwater: A Collection of Drone Footage of this Week's Houston Floods

Aerial footage offers a new vantage point for understanding the water's impact.

Sprawl Beyond Zoning

Some critics say zoning creates sprawl. But if that's the case, how do you explain Houston?

In Defense of the Urban Freeway

Many of the people who choose to live downtown actually work in the suburbs. Ironically it's the much-maligned urban freeway system that makes this lifestyle possible.

As Cities Encourage Pedestrians and Biking, Another Trend Emerges: More Deaths

Communities have done a great job encouraging residents to walk and bike more. But they're struggling to keep those same residents safe on the streets.

California's New Model for Growth? "Mashable" Metros, With Transportation Options

It won’t be cars or transit; it won’t be houses or apartments; it won’t be downtowns or malls. It’ll be a mashup that gives residents options.

Phoenix, Houston, and the Rest of the Sun Belt Cities Are Misunderstood

Cities across the South and Southwest have a reputation for being unsustainable. Maybe it's time to rethink that label.

Houston's Having an Urban Revolution. Catch Up With This Reading List.

Our roundup of articles and books that capture the magnitude of the changes facing Bayou City.

To Thrive, Cities Must Figure Out How to Make "Thick" Infrastructure

Underutilized spaces present the chance to reconnect neighborhoods, offer new transportation options and encourage physical activity.

How the "Missing Middle" Can Make Neighborhoods More Walkable

One designer argues that housing like the duplex can save cities.

Are Houston’s Transportation and Urban Revolutions here to Stay?

Linking citizen-advocates, transportation officials and public officials is big first step.

Oil Prices Are Down. So Why Does Houston’s Population Keep Going Up?

Sunbelt cities account for most of the U.S. growth population according to new census figures.

American Urbanists Fawn Over European Cities. They Should Pay More Attention to Canada.

Sure, Barcelona and Copenhagen are beautiful. But it might make more sense for Americans to study Ottawa and Toronto.

How Atlanta Decided It Can’t Out Suburb the Suburbs

Atlanta's planning department is pursuing a zoning overhaul that would alter the character of the famously sprawling place.

Houston's Transit Guru on the City's Moment in the Sun

An interview with Christof Spieler, who may understand transit better than anyone else in Houston.

Local Governments Are Inefficient. Here Are Four Ways to Fix Them.

Most American cities are either too big or too small to serve the people who live in them in a cost-effective manner.